A US Predator drone flies over the moon above Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan. Similar drones flying in Somalia are said to create safety hazards. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

(Newser)
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The White House may barely acknowledge US operations in Somalia, but apparently there are so many drones zipping around the region that they are endangering local air traffic and perhaps violating a 1992 arms embargo, reports the Washington Post. A new UN report details narrowly averted disasters, including a near-miss with a passenger plane, drones that crashed into a refugee camp, and a drone flying close to a fuel depot.

With US drones operating out of bases from Djibouti, the Seychelles, and Ethiopia, the number of military drones over and around Somalia has grown greatly. But a 1992 embargo passed by the UN Security Council bans weapons, including military drones, except for those working with African Union troops. The UN report detailed 64 unauthorized flights over Somalian airspace since June 2011, at least 10 of those being drones.

From what I've grown to understand, the theory of American Exceptionalism means rules and laws don't apply to us.

HANKHILL

Jul 25, 2012 4:01 PM CDT

lol

RogerMohajir

Jul 25, 2012 11:26 AM CDT

The same thing happened at a park near me, right after Christmas. So many kids were flying their remote controlled helicopters and planes that it was creating chaos, especially for the old-fashioned children trying to fly kites. Fortunately, most of the kids lost interest in their new toys and disaster was averted. Unfortunately the "kids" at the Pentagon seem to have unlimited attention spans when it comes to their assassination toys.